Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Welcome back! Here we are at Tuesday again. Looks like we'll actually have a full dry week. The fog is our only issue until the weekend when the rain returns. I have to say that our winter so far has been wonderful and I do hope it keeps up. It was so great to see all the pretty white snow in the Sierras this past weekend. It reminds me of the good old days and we need even more of that.

Here are last week's pictures:

Day 18- Monday, 1/18/16

It's Martin Luther King holiday and the kids and I are home. I love that it's a Monday and I can have a slow start with my morning coffee in my pjs instead of at work on my break. We did pretty much nothing all day and it felt good.

Day 19- Tuesday, 1/19/16

Not exactly how I pictured this day happening. First it was miserable out with A LOT of rain and high winds making my commute sketchy. This is the type of day when you would really like to stay home. Too bad the storm hit a day late. Then on the first day back to school for the new semester Justin came home sick with a sore throat, slight fever, feeling faint and nauseous. He was supposed to have tennis conditioning this afternoon but slept through it instead which is what he needed. Poor thing.

Day 20- Wednesday, 1/20/16

But look! He bounced right back ;0) Justin is feeling much better today and actually had a good time at tennis conditioning. He just got home and is ready for dinner. Love to see him smile.

Day 21- Thursday, 1/21/16

Sadly whatever Justin brought home I now have and the timing is impeccable. We're packing and getting ready to head to the mountains for my birthday ski weekend and I really don't want to be sick and feeling like this. I'm hoping I can bounce back as quickly as Justin did but that never seems to happen in adults. Come on immune system--do your thing!

Day 22- Friday, 1/22/16

Hello from Tahoe! We are staying in the Northstar Village and tonight I celebrate my birthday with my wonderful family. Thankfully most of today's storm was warm with rain for almost our entire drive up so we didn't have to deal bad road conditions. It will snow tonight for fresh powder tomorrow-yes! Best birthday present ever :0)

Day 23- Saturday, 1/23/16

It's a ski day in winter wonderland. The snow was perfect and the crowds weren't too bad for a Saturday. It snowed with flurries on and off all day and the sun made it out a few times as well. It was a great day.

Day 24- Sunday- 1/24/16

Before heading home we found a place for the kids to play in the snow. They always have such a great time with the snowball fights and sledding. Look how pretty the trees are dusted with snow. I wish we could stay longer but it's time to head back to reality.

Wait! One more:

January's Family Picture

Of course we had to snap a shot on our winter trip enjoying the snow in Tahoe.

Now I'm done. Thanks for stopping by. See you next Tuesday in February!

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Welcome back and happy Tuesday! It's an exciting week with the 2 high school boys starting their new classes for the second semester and Justin starting tennis conditioning. It's a lot of change but good change that we're happy for. They ended the first semester on a high note and are looking forward to what the next brings. Half way there!

Here is how last week went:

Day 11- Monday, 1/11/16

Misery loves company, and Brandon loves Bella's company during homework. He knows if he has a treat box she'll stay by his side, and then when he's done he rewards her. It's a win-win for both.

Day 12- Tuesday, 1/12/16

After a nice long break through December we're back at karate on Tuesdays. Someone is in a fowl mood tonight and didn't want his picture taken so I snapped a shot of me waiting by his shoes instead.

Day 13- Wednesday, 1/13/16

It's been another rainy week and it was too wet for Justin to ride his bike to school this morning, so I had pick up duty this afternoon. As you can see the clouds eventually parted and the sun decided to come out making for a nice end to the day.

Day 14- Thursday, 1/14/16

. . .but it's back! Today was the opposite. We had a nice start but it ended with a lot of rain and our pool is filling up super fast. At least it hasn't turned green yet.

Day 15- Friday, 1/15/16

We're at Starbucks celebrating the end of finals and the end of the first semester. Eveyone is happy how it went so now they can enjoy a nice long 3-day weekend and start with new classes on Tuesday.

Day 16- Saturday, 1/16/16

Time for a date. John and I headed to Davis for dinner and a movie. Both were really good. The Revenant is one you really should see on the big screen. It's an amazing story and the cinematography is incredible. Best picture and actor material for sure.

Day 17- Sunday, 1/17/16

Yesterday was date night and today is family fun day so we saw the Harlem Globetrotters which was super fun. How crazy is it that they have been around for 90 years?! I still remember watching the cartoon they had on Saturday mornings back in the day with Curly. Tyler and Brandon really got a kick out of it and Justin said it was just ok, but that is so him.

All done for now. Thanks for stopping by and check back next week for more fun.

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Hello there and happy Tuesday! I'll be honest, the re-entry to post-vacation life was a rough one, but it is getting easier as January flies by. How is it that the new year just started and we're already almost half way through the first month? I really do like the slower pace of no school and no work but that's not our reality right now so we must plug on.

Here's a look at our first full week in 2016:

Day 4- Monday, 1/4/16

My first work day in the new year was a wet and windy one. The only time I hate my commute is when I have to travel over the causeway in the wind and rain--no fun at all. Later that evening no one had much homework which was nice on the first day back, and Rusty decided to take up a new resting spot joining Tyler to play some video games. Crazy cat!

Day 5- Tuesday, 1/5/16

The new year just started and I already have several doctor and dentist appointments booked through July. How does that even happen? On a happier note, Tyler got his first college acceptance to the University of Oregon. They have a great human physiology program and out-of-state fees will be covered so it's on the table and time will tell. None of the other schools will let him know until March so he plays the waiting game.

Day 6- Wednesday, 1/6/16

It's been raining all week which means I've been picking up a wet kid every afternoon. He doesn't mind though because he likes the rain. Maybe I should just let him walk home ;0)

Day 7- Thursday, 1/7/16

Not only has it been wet but also really cold. Brrr! My research lab is especially cold too so when I get home I really need a warm cup of tea. At least the sun was shinning bright later today which also helped warm things up. This is the last time you'll see my poinsettia. It's slowly dying and will be gone next week so I can make room for some new greener plants.

Day 8- Friday, 1/8/16

Justin loves the new Sherpa lined blanket he got for Christmas and it's come in handy this week especially during those super cold and rainy nights. He's happy to snuggle up in his blanket and enjoy his Friday evening playing in his bed.

Day 9- Saturday, 1/9/16

These sweet ladies took me out for wine tasting and lunch at this cute winery close to home. They have such a cool set up with the tasting room and some table seating in that adorable barn. It was an early birthday celebration since we won't see each other again for at least another month.

Day 10- Sunday, 1/10/16

Brandon loves his black lab, Bella, and got these socks in his stocking for Christmas. He wears them every chance he gets and would like a couple more pairs since they remind him of her--too cute! Now look at these bigger boys. One more semester left before they graduate. We got them together today for a yearbook picture. The four of them have been best friends since second grade and we are so glad they have each other. It's sad to think they'll all probably end up in different places for college next year. I have a feeling their friendship will stand the test of time though.

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Happy New Year Everyone! This post will wrap up the last few days in 2015 and start the first few days in 2016. It will be a big year for us with a lot of change since our oldest is graduating high school and heading off to college. Great things to come! Thanks for joining us on this journey and I hope you all have a wonderful year as well. I can't wait to see what's in store for us.

Take a look at last week's pictures to get a glimpse of how we ended our winter break and got our new year started:

Day 362- Monday, 12/28/15

Sadly it's time to put Christmas away. The boys were so bummed to see all the festive decorations go, but I'm kinda glad to have things back to normal.

Day 363- Tuesday, 12/29/15

Today we played in the snow. It's a winter wonderland up in Tahoe and we were lucky enough to catch a great day between storms to enjoy some skiing on fresh, good snow. It's been awhile, like years, since we had decent snow to ski on and a lot of it. Keep it coming! Can you spot the wampa that photo bombed us?

Day 364- Wednesday, 12/30/15

John has been a cooking madman over the holidays and decided to move on from smoking salmon to trying a whole turkey. It took a little longer than expected but turned out great and will feed us for a good week. I'm all for that!

Day 365- Thursday, 12/31/15

It's New Year's Eve and we decided to celebrate at home with the kids this year which made them happy. We put out some party food, fired up the chocolate fondue, played some pool, cranked up the tunes, and rang in the new year together as a family.

Day 1- Friday, 1/1/16!!!

Happy New Year! Welcome to 2016! We just chilled all day until John banged out an amazing lobster and prime rib dinner for us to enjoy. For dessert we had an ice-cream sampling bar with different Ben and Jerry's flavors which was a big hit with the boys. They have never really had Ben and Jerry's before. Thanks Jen T for the inspiration.

Day 2- Saturday, 1/2/16

Who's ready to see some Star Wars? My boys are! I think we are the last ones to see it but it was worth the wait. We met up with friends and saw The Force Awakens at Studio Movie Grill. I love their movie themed drinks--so fun, so clever, and so good. What a great way to end our winter break and start the new year.

Day 3- Sunday, 1/3/16

Back to reality. The start of the new year means pulling receipts and paperwork together from the past year so we can get ready for taxes. It's super important to get them done early this year since Tyler is applying for financial aide to help with the ever climbing cost of a college education. While John did this I worked on the FAFSA application. Blah! Maybe this will help make us happy to go back to work tomorrow ;0)

That's it for now. Winter break is over and we are back to crazy busy schedules. Talk about hitting the ground running. Check back next week to see just how crazy our first full week in January was.